Rail trail crossing safety improvements proposed in Saugus

Tuesday

Landscape designers laid out proposals to make street crossings safer for the Saugus stretch of the Northern Strand Community Trail.

The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and town co-hosted a meeting on Nov. 7 to update the public on the trail that is currently in the preliminary design phase.

Architects have spent the summer and fall furthering the design for the 10.5-mile Northern Strand Community Trail, which would start at the Mystic River in Everett and wind through Malden, Revere and Saugus before connecting to the shore in Lynn.

Imogene Hatch, a senior landscape designer with Brown, Richardson and Rowe, said the plan is for a continuous paved corridor of multiuse trails designed for pedestrians and bicyclists.

The 2.5-mile Saugus packed gravel portion of the trail — which extends from Laurel Street to the Lynn border by the Saugus River — follows the old Saugus branch railroad line.

Kurt Gaertner of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs said his agency is even more excited about the Northern Strand Community Trail project.

Gaertner said there is $5 million set aside in the state budget in fiscal 2020 and $6 million in fiscal 2021 to pay for the trail project, which is estimated to cost $11 million.

The team is now at the 25 percent design threshold and the goal is to have the project ready to go out to bid in the spring, Gaertner said.

“We’re working as rapidly as we can to get this done,” Gaertner said. “We think it’s a great project.”

In September, town department heads performed a walkthrough to assess the trail crossings. Jeannie Meredith of the Planning Department said that those participating in the walk audit came to the conclusion that there are serious safety concerns with the trail crossings.

Design team members highlighted measures under consideration to make the trail crossings safer to pedestrians and bicyclists.

A raised crossing is proposed at Eustis Street. The team has also looked into moving the trail crossing to the Essex Street Fire Station driveway and getting rid of the long, skewed trail crossing that currently exists on Essex Street.

As a safety measure, a rapid flashing beacon is proposed at the Essex Street trail crossing that displays a “bike crossing” signal when a push button is activated. This type of signal has a much higher compliance rate than regular flashing beacons, according to the design team.

On Adams Avenue, the team is proposing another rapid flashing beacon signal that flashes on both sides of the street.

At the Denver Street crossing, the design team is considering formalizing a parking lot where people can access the trail.

The proposal on Central Street is to move the trail crossing 10 to 15 feet closer to a building and to provide green space, a rapid flashing beacon and bump outs.

Where the trail crosses over the Saugus River, the team is examining the possibility of removing the decking and railing on the existing bridge and spanning a new pedestrian bridge.

Potential trail connections to the Waybright Elementary School, Belmonte Middle School and Anna Parker Playground are also on the table.

Hatch said the hope is to design the Northern Strand Community Trail to celebrate the unique communities in which the trail is located.

The Saugus section of the trail offers a lovely residential feel and boasts a great history of industry, Hatch said. She pointed out that trains once transported materials and passengers on the Saugus railroad line that was part of the Boston Main Railroad.

In Saugus the trail also passes through some incredible ecology with woods and stunning marshes, Hatch said. She stressed that the goal is to highlight this natural beauty in the final trail design.

Three key areas on the Saugus trail have been identified for potential landscape improvements, Hatch said. They include a gathering space on Laurel Street with possible interpretative signage and sliding hill for kids; a parking lot, signage, bike rack and benches on Denver Street; and an overlook in the marsh with a seating area and signage about ecology/nature.

The next steps, Hatch said, are to develop the trail design further and to get a sense of cost for the project. A final design should be ready to be presented to the community likely in February, she added.

If all goes smoothly work could begin on the Northern Strand Community Trail project by next July, Hatch said.

Public input

Resident Joe Vecchione said the Northern Strand Community Trail sounds like a great asset for the town.

“It’s important for the town to realize these will be improvements,” Vecchione said. “I’m really excited about this coming here.”

Town Meeting member Michael Serino said that this seems like a good opportunity for the state to pick up the tab on paving the part of the rail trail that passes through Saugus.

Serino emphasized that the design team has done a great job addressing safety issues with its proposals for the trail crossings.

Resident Robert Hoffman alleged that the design team wasn’t taking public safety seriously. He shared how he and his wife were struck by a vehicle while they crossed the trail on Central Street.

Hoffman said his wife died last week.

“You don’t know what it’s like to be a victim and to have your wife pass away because of some idiot who couldn’t see ... all this babble about flowers and green means nothing when you lose somebody,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman stressed that there should be raised crossings where the trail intersects with streets so that people can cross safely.

“If you elevate the crosswalk maybe you stand a chance because people will have to slow down,” Hoffman said.

Hatch responded that the design team takes safety very seriously. Raised crosswalks are proposed in certain areas but they need to be considered on a case-by-case basis for where they are safe to be used, she noted.

Bike to the Sea President Jim Tozza said he liked the trail concept, but questioned the proposal to put in an overlook with signage by the marsh.

Tozza expressed concern that youths from Lynn would vandalize the area.

“Benches are fine, but everything else will be destroyed by kids,” Tozza said.

Hatch said it’s important to use materials that can withstand vandalism. She told Tozza that it’s important not to make design choices bases on the lowest common denominator.

“We try to make something everyone can appreciate and celebrate,” Hatch said.

Town Meeting member Bill Brown asked if there would be any cost to the town to build or maintain the Northern Strand Community Trail.

Brown said the rail trail looks like a jungle with all the trees hanging over the path.

“I don’t know how people go down there without being a little nervous,” Brown said.

Gaertner said he wasn’t sure if the $11 million earmarked for the Northern Strand Community Trail would be sufficient to cover all the costs. He noted that the state has sometimes asked communities for financial contributions as needed, but he hopes the commonwealth would pay for the vast majority of the project, if not all of it.

Maintenance of the trail is the responsibility of the communities, Hatch said. The cities and towns that make up the Northern Strand Community Trail will need to decide whether to plow the path or to put in trash barrels, she added.

Serino said the town has brought in a contractor to chop down weeds on the rail trail. He also credited Bike to the Sea for volunteering to spruce up the recreational area.

Board of Selectmen Chairman Debra Panetta said she was thrilled with the bike trail. Elevated crossings are important safety measures as traffic is only getting worse in the community, she asserted.

Panetta asked if the state would be willing to put in security cameras or lighting on the trail. Hatch responded that security cameras are a possibility, but lighting typically isn’t recommended in areas that are ecologically sensitive such as marsh areas.